Subscribe to Print Edition | Sat., July 12, 2008 Tamuz 9, 5768 | | Israel Time: 02:34 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Peres Conference Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 08:45 16/07/2007 Analysis: Peres has never seen such an outpouring of love By Gideon Levy, Haaretz Correspondent At precisely 8:10 A.M., we would peer through the window out of the legendary house on 110 Hayarkon Street. Shimon was coming to work at the Labor Party headquarters, and we, the employees of his bureau, were anxious to know what his face had to tell us that morning. Was he looking forlorn again, or had he woken up happy? We got to recognize his expressions, which told us a lot more about his feelings than his words did. His face generally conveyed sorrow; those were the days of Yitzhak Rabin's book "The Rabin Memoirs" and Menachem Begin's speeches in the public squares. Sunday evening, at precisely 6 P.M., I stood in the Knesset plaza and once again- some 30 years later- tried to look at the face of Shimon Peres. The ninth president looked tense. After innumerable positions in public service, which would comprise a large cabinet if he were capable of filling them all simultaneously, Peres- as Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik said - looked like someone who isn't used to the honor, respect and love that everyone was suddenly bestowing upon him. He stepped out of his car alone, as someone who had already seen it all- everything except for this outpouring of love. The swearing-in ceremony was an Israeli attempt to create for ourselves a moment of faux royalty. Itzik spoke about the "second Shimon"- the first Shimon being the Hasmonean leader Shimon Maccabeus. Mounted police, motorcycles and trumpets accompanied Peres' vehicle. All the same, the sound system choked momentarily, and the flower arrangements in the plenum collapsed as Peres said that as a child, he wanted to be a shepherd and a "poet of the stars." Peres' baby great-granddaughter burst into tears, and Infrastructures Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer accidentally knocked the velvet skullcap off the head of Communications Minister Ariel Atias at the cabinet table, which was more crowded than usual, despite the spot Peres had vacated after 47 years. Advertisement The crowd of hundreds was a typical Peres crowd: World Jewish Congress president and American businessman Ronald Lauder, Israeli author Meir Shalev, Russian-Israeli financier Arcadi Gaydamak. Some old-timers came too, all of whom look like they had aged far more than Peres. Two people were conspicuous in their absence: Peres' wife Sonia, who was unable to attend for reasons of health, and Peres' predecessor, Moshe Katsav. The flag-waving Scouts were, whether the choice was intentional or not, from the West Bank settlement of Kfar Adumim. "Do you know who this man is?" asked Itzik, and they did. It's doubtful whether they also knew that the man they cheered had played a major role in the settlement enterprise. It's doubtful whether Peres, who said in a newspaper interview Sunday that "we have to get rid of the territories," will know, as president, how to fix the most critical of all his mistakes. Being Peres, he used his speech to speak of the Peace Valley, a planned project of artificial lakes and factories in the Jordan Valley, where, in the meantime, it's impossible to move a crate of cucumbers from one place to another. When Peres spoke about his visit to the village of his birth, the Knesset was silent; once he got to the Peace Valley, the ministers were telling jokes. At the end, Peres got a standing ovation, just like he loves, just like he has always loved. The driver who took me back to my car told me: That is a great man. Thirty years ago, I heard cab drivers speaking differently Bookmark to del.icio.us   Photoshopped launch Did Iran doctor an image of its provocative missile test launch? 'Hitler was a good boss' Nazi bodyguard describes the fuhrer's last moments in a Berlin bunker.   1.   Mr Levy`s cynicism goes far beyond honest criticism 06:02  |  Dennis M Starkman 16/07/07   2.   IMMORAL PERES ELECTION POSSIBLE BY SHAS&HAREDI POLITICIANS))) 07:02  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 16/07/07   3.   Why, Gideon Levy? 08:12  |  Esther 16/07/07   4.   Levy again! 08:20  |  Nosurprises 16/07/07   5.   inauguration 08:40  |  pamela 16/07/07   6.   and this is another Haaretz attempt at faux-journalism 08:45  |  Jake 16/07/07   7.   Gideon vs. Peres 09:48  |  yaron Zohar 16/07/07   8.   Always a great ambassador of Isreal 09:52  |  JON FEIGENBAUM 16/07/07   9.   levy 10:03  |  Israel Letzter 16/07/07   10.   Give the man some respect!! 10:18  |  HATE STUPIDITY 16/07/07

Read & React Did Iran doctor an image of its missile test launch? Responses: 145 Hitler's bodyguard: The Fuhrer was a good boss Responses: 117 PM suspected of asking various bodies to fund same foreign trips Responses: 45 Ari Shavit: The real problem is America Responses: 94 H.A. Hellyer: Who speaks for Europe's Muslims? Responses: 36 Rosner's Domain Did Mossad chief Meir Dagan pay a visit to the White House? (WTR) Is the Arab love affair with Obama over? (WTR) On Iraq, Obama draws to the ground of reality Poll: The more religious the Jewish voter, the more pro-McCain More Headlines 01:31 Two seriously wounded in Jerusalem shooting attack 20:25 Olmert suspected of defrauding state, charities to fund trips abroad 19:08 NRP Chairman: In a civilized country, Olmert would have resigned long ago 20:15 Olmert, Zaken, and Rishon Tours: A case of deja vu 20:25 Ron Arad's daughter: You can't declare him dead with no information 23:28 For Jewish American soldiers in Iraq, there is a different kind of service 01:02 Former U.S. diplomat gets year in prison for anti-Arab comments 20:53 Arab state tells Israel it would not oppose Iran strike 13:15 4 Israelis arrested for allegedly selling weapons to Palestinians 12:53 Six people killed in separate car accidents overnight 21:34 Lebanon forms unity gov't which gives Hezbollah veto power 21:16 IDF raids undermine my administration, Palestinian PM tells U.S. 14:06 Senior Iranian Ayatollah: Our missiles neither threat nor fake 20:57 Israel denies reports of IAF training in U.S.-controlled Iraq Previous Editions Select Day 11 jul 10 jul 09 jul 08 jul 07 jul 06 jul 04 jul 03 jul 02 jul 01 jul 30 jun 29 jun

Special Offers Advertisement Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Israel's Premier Real Estate Website www. israel-property.com Dan Hotels Israel Live the Legend & experience an Unforgettable Summer Vacation Yossi Avrahami Presents: New Luxurious Projects in North Tel Aviv & Eilat Holyland Park Jerusalem Apartment Tower World Class Luxury Right In the heart of Tel-Aviv The Meier on Rothschild tower Your vacation starts here Israel Travel Center Guaranteed Lowest Rates Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved